“No. You may think it’s wrong, but I do itto survive. I never take enough to impair them; they don’t knowwhat’s really happening, and they leave in the morning moresatisfied than they’ve ever been.”
Paige didn’t know how to respond to that. Itrepulsed her to think of someone doing that to another human being.However, when he’d said they left the next day more satisfied thanthey’d ever been the next day, a jolt had gone through her. Shefelt a tightening in her belly, excitement fluttered through her atthe image his words conjured within her. She glanced accusingly ather drink, but she knew the yearning she felt had nothing to dowith the alcohol and everything to do with the man himself.
Her heart rate increased, her palms feltsweaty and despite her every intention not to, she found herselflooking at his full mouth. She could well imagine how satisfiedthose women had been. A shiver ran through her; her hand began tosweat on the glass. The liquid was warm enough without her addedbody heat, but she didn’t think she’d ever cool down again.
“That seems like a violation,” she finallymurmured.
His sky colored eyes didn’t flicker as theyheld hers. “They come to my bed willingly.”
“Do you think they would if they knew youwere going to drink their blood?”
“Probably not.” She had to give him credit,he didn’t try to avoid her questions, and he really didn’t seem tobe a liar. “But the women I take back with me aren’t drunk, they’reaware of everything happening to them, other than my feeding fromthem. They think it’s nothing more than a hickey. You don’tapprove, but I’m not ashamed of what I am, or what I have to do tosurvive. This is how I do it.”
“But…”
“You asked me a question, I answered it. Iunderstand your feelings on it, but I didn’t ask for your opinionor your judgement. I’ve never judged anything you’ve done, even ifI don’t agree with it.”
She bit back her words. “Fair enough. Howwill you feed while we’re up here?” It took all she had to keep herhand from fluttering up to the scars on her neck. She’d been fedfrom before; she could clearly recall the pain, the violation andhelplessness she’d experienced from it. She’d been certain she wasgoing to die, but she’d survived, twice now.
“You’re safe with me.” The terrified look inher eyes caused him to utter those words. “The animals in the woodswill satisfy me.” He held up a hand to ward off her next question.“No, I don’t kill them, I set them all free.”
“When I was attacked, it hurt, a lot,” shemurmured. “How do those women not know what you’re doing?”
“It doesn’t hurt if you don’t fight it, it’sactually extremely enjoyable, especially during sex.”
Was she having hot flashes? She had to fightthe urge to fan herself, excitement fluttered in her belly at hiswords. His eyes held hers over the top of his glass as he took asip of his drink. He knew the effect he had on her, she was certainof it.
“Oh,” she muttered and focused on herdrink.
He opened his mouth to continue to teaseher, but her hand fluttered up to her neck, and the color fadedfrom her face. The firelight flickering over her illuminated thehorror shining in her eyes. His amusement faded as unexpected angerswirled within him. “Was it random, or did you know the vampire whoattacked you?” he asked.
A bitter laugh escaped her, she swirled theliquid in her glass. “Depends on your definition of know? Do I knowwho he was? Yes. Do I know him? No.”
He frowned over her words and leaned againstthe corner of the bar. “Who was it?”
“That’s not something I wish to discuss.”Ian decided not to push her further. She’d only shut down on himagain and stop talking. Paige fiddled with her hands beforeglancing at him from under her lashes. “He’ll find me you know.He’ll come for me here.”
Ian shook his head. “No one followed ushere; I made sure of it.”
Paige couldn’t bring herself to meet hisgaze. “He’s found me before, he’ll find me again,” shemurmured.
Ian placed his drink on the bar. “Thevampire from last night was the same one who left those scars onyour neck?”
He’d left more than scars on her neck. He’dscarred her soul, her body, her entire life. “He is and he’s foundme since he gave me those.”
He almost didn’t recognize the lost eyeslocked on his; she’d been a fighter since the second he’d laid eyeson her. Now he could almost see the ghosts of her past hoveringaround her, threatening to bury her beneath their hauntingpresences. “How many times have you run into this vampire?”
“The other night was my third encounter withhim.” Again, not a lie, it had only been the third time she’dencountered her father as a vampire. “Hewillfind meagain.”
“I can assure you no one followed us,Paige.”
She nodded, but she didn’t believe him. Herfather would come for her again. “Who knows, maybe he can track methrough my blood or something.”
Ian shook his head. “I’ve never heard ofthat happening.”
“And up until four years ago I’d only heardof vampires in movies and books, but there’s a whole ton of shitout there none of us knows anything about.”
“True,” he murmured. “But while I’m here, hewon’t get anywhere near you. If your hunter friend hadn’t shown up,your attacker would have been dead.”
